How to Program Progression Using Only 45s and 25s?

Training
1

I have a friend who has decided to get into lifting. He’s read a lot of Dan John articles and has asked for my help in helping him get strong. I’ve told him the basics and to just pick a program and follow it. He’s told me he wants to use only 45s and 25s on the main lifts because Dan said that’s a good way to go. He doesn’t mind sticking to the same weights and pushing the volume.

How would he setup progression or know when to jump weights? He wants to do an upper/lower split since it fits his schedule better.

I’m thinking since he would be taking 50lb jumps it makes sense to have one HEAVY and one HIGH REP type day. So for squats maybe he could try to build up to 8x3 @ 225 and maybe try to build that up to 8x5 @ 225 before trying to do 275 @ 8x3 or something along those lines.

What you guys think?

These would be his jumps:

95-135-185-225-275-315

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If he’s not very strong too begin with he will barely be able to bench 135LBS and when he does will increase it too 185LBS which is a big jump. He may aswell just progress weekly at smaller weights instead then he’ll actually know how much he is able to lift by only 5/10LB jumps rather than 50/90LB jumps

3

Should have put his stats. He’s not new to lifting, but has never done it seriously.

Here are his weights:

Bench Press - 165 @ 3x10
OH Press - 115 @ 3x10
Back Squat - 195 @ 3x10
Deadlift 235 @ 3x10

4

So the articles that give the ideas for these constraints, do they give ideas on progressing?

Seems like a fairly arbitrary way to create headaches, and would especially suck for overhead press.

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5

You could always do something like this:

WellYeah

Realistically, think about what he’s capable of and that should give you some more context to using this approach.

Bench 135x15ish, 185x5ish, 225x1 maybe
OHP 95x12-15, 135x5ish
Squat 135x20ish, 185x12ish, 225x6-8, 275x1 maybe
Dead 135xLots, 185xMany, 225x12, 275x3-5

But yeah, with fixed weight progression, it’s just about gradually adding volume via reps.

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6

With those numbers, he’s either new to lifting or he’s a child. Either way, he should be training like a beginner.

If his ego is too big for 5,10,20 lb increments, that’s his problem, and that’s why his numbers are where they are.

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Thanks Chris! Completely forgot I had that thread.

Yeah I was trying to tell him at his level 45s + 25s might be too big of jumps. But the 45/25/10 might be a bit more realistic since a 20lb jump is much more reasonable.

8

when his ass gets stapled under 225 on the bench he’ll wish he’d been using the smaller plates

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9

Am I the only one to ever do the “roll of shame” where you roll the bar from your chest to your thighs so you can get out from under it?

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10

Negatory my man. I did it plenty of times before I learned missing reps was a bad thing.

11

I have yet to get stapled under any lift. But I am pretty smart about how I feel that day or even during the reps/sets. If it says shoot for 5, but at rep 2 I feel like I can barely get it going I’ll stop the set and live for another day. Plus I hate asking for spotters so this is my form of auto regulation lol.

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The only benefit I can see of these methodologies is starting a home gym and being cheap.

13

Yeah I’ve had to do that too.

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I like the simplicity if I’m just trying to get a quick workout in. Not that figuring out percentage-based weights was particularly difficult or time-consuming for me, but there’s something I like about going in and just slapping plates on until I get to a work weight that I’ll rep out. It can also help keep rest periods short as you’re working up, especially if you’re lifting in a sometimes-disorganized gym where you’re hunting around for plates. This is made worse by my own pathology of insisting on symmetrical plate loading.

I wouldn’t recommend it as optimal for anyone to do long-term, but I’m sure I’m not the only guy who’s done a ton of workouts with just 45’s and 25’s.

15

I’d say it’s different when you hit a certain level of strength though, not really applicable for the lifter in question here. I think you’re more at a point where it could make sense from time to time on some lifts, kind of basing this on remembering you had a pretty solid deadlift from some thread long ago.

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I’d agree, but it sounds like this is what he wants to do.

If he believes in the method, it won’t hurt to try. So maybe he’s hitting a lot of reps with 95 or 135. Optimal? Probably not, but a beginner could do a lot worse than following a Dan John program for their first time taking a crack at lifting.

17

This is actually fairly strong for OHP. Since he’s only repping 165 on bench it makes me question whether his form is really correct on his OHP. Does he do it seated? Is he leaning way back to turn it into a slight incline press?

Which brings up another issue with having a beginner run programs like this : form needs to really be spot on. If correct form is not deeply ingrained with a lighter weight, lifts are going to get really ugly and dangerous with 50lb jumps. Learning proper technique on compound lifts can take years

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18

Been there with 165 tried to press out one more rep. And got staples. Felt like a fool. I’m glad it happened with a small weight instead of something bone crushing. I learned my lesson. Leave one or two in the bar.

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19

I actually don’t know. I’ve never lifted with him. I told him next week I’ll come through for a session to see how everything looks. Not that I’m an expert, but I can at least tell you if the form looks like garbage lol.

The OHP discrepancy might be from his short arms and the fact he’s a shelver at a warehouse. So a lot of overhead work in general. But we’ll see next week, hopefully it’s not as bad.

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I just posted about this in my training log. Long story short, an obnoxiously loud powerlifter girl who is always preaching form at the top of her lungs with her headphones in unracked 115 from the bench while roaring like a silverback gorilla and then proceeded to get buried under it and had to roll it down to her thighs while declining help from concerned onlookers. Poetry.

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